Boston Red Sox - PlayerWatch

May 25, 2013|Reuters

IF Jose Iglesias, a shortstop by trade, played his second game at third base Friday night, the other one coming Wednesday night for Pawtucket. Iglesias, called up Friday, was 9-for-20 in six games with the Red Sox earlier this season and batted ninth Friday, going 1-for-3.

C Ryan Lavarnway was returned to Triple-A. His last at-bat on this tour with the big club came Thursday night, when he hit a long pinch double in the eighth inning of the 12-3 loss.

3B Will Middlebrooks (back) and RF Shane Victorino (hamstring) both went on the 15-day disabled list Friday, with INF Jose Iglesias and RHP Alfredo Aceves recalled from Pawtucket to take their spots. Middlebrooks, who left Thursday night's game after two at-bats (both strikeouts), was in an 0-for-11 spell that dropped his batting average down to .201.

OF Jackie Bradley Jr., who has been out with right biceps tendinitis, may well get the call when the Red Sox decide to go back to 12 pitchers. "They want the best for me, you kind of do what you've got to do to get fully healthy," Bradley told WEEI.com. "You're never really going to play at 100 percent during the whole season but you got to make sure you can give 100 percent that day. Them resting me, it's just a protective measure to make sure I'm all healed up." Bradley, the big story of spring training, where he forced the big club's hand and got an opening day spot, batted just .097 in 12 games before being sent back to the minors.

RHP John Lackey turned in his second straight strong start with seven innings of two-hit ball Friday night. Lackey (3-4) has pitched 13 innings in the two starts, yielded a pair of unearned runs and only three hits in the rain, while striking out eight. "I feel like my arm strength is getting better, the endurance is getting better. Things are going on the right track," Lackey said. "It's been a lot of fun, for sure. It's fun to get back in there with the guys, a great group of guys to compete with. Have success and be healthy and just not fighting a whole lot of other things; being able to execute pitches feeling pretty good."

C Jarrod Saltalamacchia threw a wet ball away to allow Cleveland's only run to score Friday night. He also had a double in four at-bats and has reached base in his last 14 games with a plate appearance. He is hitting .319 with six walks over that span.

RF Shane Victorino (hamstring) and 3B Will Middlebrooks (back) both went on the 15-day disabled list Friday, with IF Jose Iglesias and RHP Alfredo Aceves recalled from Pawtucket to take their spots. The Victorino move was retroactive to May 21. He has gone from a back problem to the hamstring.

C David Ross, who missed 11 games on the concussion DL after taking two straight foul tips off the mask, was activated before Friday's game. "Talked with my wife about normal stuff, got real emotional, started crying at the drop of a hat," he said of his concussion. "I'm not really a crier. My wife was like, 'You're messed up, you need to see a doctor.'"

LF Mike Carp, who will get more playing time with RF Shane Victorino out, snapped an 0-for-21 slump with a three-run homer off RHP Justin Masterson in the second inning Friday night. It was his fourth hit in eight career at-bats against Masterson. The homer was his third of the season, his first since May 1, and was his third at Fenway Park, his first as a Red Sox player. Ten of his 14 hits this season have been for extra bases, three of the last four being homers.

RHP Alfredo Aceves was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket along with INF Jose Iglesias when 3B Will Middlebrooks and RF Shane Victorino went on the DL Friday. Aceves worked the ninth inning Friday night.